Latest news with #MostafaSepahvand
Free Malaysia Today
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
British cops charge 3 Iranians in counter-terrorism probe
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi previously said he was 'disturbed' to learn that Iranians had been arrested by UK authorities. (AP pic) LONDON : British police have charged three Iranian men with offences under the national security act after a major counter-terrorism investigation, the police said today. British counter-terrorism police arrested eight men including seven Iranians earlier this month in two separate operations in what the British interior minister called some of the biggest investigations of their kind in recent years. Mostafa Sepahvand, Farhad Javadi Manesh and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori were charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between Aug 14, 2024, and Feb 16, 2025, the police said in a statement. The foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran, they added. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has previously said he was 'disturbed' to learn that Iranian citizens had been arrested by British authorities. The British government has placed Iran on the highest tier of its foreign influence register, requiring Tehran to register everything it does to exert political influence in the UK.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran and Britain summon envoys over alleged spying in UK
Britain and Iran have summoned each others envoys after three Iranians were charged with spying in the UK. The IRNA news agency said the British charge d'affaire was asked on Sunday to give an explanation for what it said was "unjustified" and "politically motivated" arrests. On Monday, the Foreign Office responded by summoning Tehran's ambassador to the UK following the charges. Three Iranian men were arrested on 3 May and appeared in court in London on Saturday charged with spying for the Islamic republic. Alleged Iranian spies charged with targeting UK-based journalists It said the government "is clear that protecting national security remains our top priority and Iran must be held accountable for its actions". "The summons follows this weekend's announcement which stated that three Iranian nationals had been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service," it added. The alleged spying took place from August 2024 to February 2025, according to the Metropolitan Police. Police identified them as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, all living in London. A fourth man was arrested on 9 May as part of the investigation, but has been released without charge, the Met said. The three men, who arrived in the UK between 2016 and 2022, were granted temporary leave to remain after claiming asylum. It is alleged they carried out surveillance with a view to locating journalists associated with Iran International. Iran International produces coverage that is critical of the current regime in Iran and has been proscribed in Iran as a terrorist organisation. "Iran must be held to account for its actions," Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement following Saturday's charges. "We must also strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil," she added. It comes as five other Iranian men were arrested on the same day in London, Swindon, Stockport, Rochdale and Manchester as part of a separate counter-terrorism investigation. Four of the men - who had been held on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act - had been released from custody, although the investigation "remains active and is ongoing", police said. The fifth man was earlier bailed to an unspecified date in May.
Sky News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Iranian ambassador summoned to Foreign Office after three men charged under National Security Act
The UK government has summoned Iran's ambassador in response to three Iranian nationals being charged under the National Security Act The three men were charged with spying offences at Westminster Magistrates' Court over the weekend. Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, are alleged to have targeted journalists working for Iran International, an independent media organisation based in London. Ambassador Seyed Ali Mousavi has now been summoned to the UK Foreign Office, the government said in a statement on Monday. "The UK government is clear that protecting national security remains our top priority and Iran must be held accountable for its actions," the statement said. "The summons follows this weekend's announcement which stated that three Iranian nationals had been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service." Sepahvand, Manesh and Noori are accused of "engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service" between August 2024 and February 2025, following an investigation by counter-terror police. They alleged to have arrived in the UK by "irregular means", including small boats and a lorry, before claiming asylum. All three were remanded in custody on Sunday. They are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 6 June. Commander Dominic Murphy, from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, described the charges as "extremely serious". "Since the men were arrested two weeks ago, detectives have been working around the clock and we have worked closely with colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service to reach this point," he said. "Now that these men have been charged, I would urge people not to speculate about this case, so that the criminal justice process can run its course."
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran summons UK charge d'affaires amid nuclear friction
Tehran, Iran – Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the United Kingdom's charge d'affaires over what it called 'suspicious and unwarranted' arrests of several Iranian nationals. The UK earlier this month accused several Iranian nationals of offences without offering evidence, wilfully refrained from informing Iran's embassy in time, and prevented consular access contrary to international norms, the ministry said in a statement issued late on Sunday, according to state media. It also accused the British government of harbouring 'political motivations to exert pressure on Iran' with the arrests. The diplomatic spat comes two days after British police charged three Iranians with suspected espionage for Iran's intelligence services under the country's National Security Act of 2023. Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, were accused of conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between August 14, 2024 and February 16, 2025. They appeared before a Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday, where they were also charged with engaging in surveillance and reconnaissance with the intention of committing or supporting serious violence against a person in the UK. Their cases were referred to a central criminal court, and the next hearing is scheduled for early three are among eight individuals arrested in May, including seven Iranians, as part of two separate operations which Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said were some of the biggest investigations of their kind in recent years. The four other Iranians were arrested as part of a 'counterterrorism' operation, with investigations ongoing. The eighth man was released without charge last week. In a stated effort towards improving national security against covert foreign influences, the UK has placed Iran on its highest tier under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS). The arrests come amid strained ties between Iran and three European powers over Tehran's nuclear programme. The UK, France and Germany have repeatedly criticised Iran for a purported lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure that Iran's nuclear programme remains peaceful. The trio, branded the E3 in the context of the negotiations, were party to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal, which the United States unilaterally abandoned in 2018. However, the US has reopened talks with Tehran in a bid to secure a new deal, and amid four rounds of talks mediated by Oman, Iran has emphasised it is open to holding more talks with the E3 as well. Senior diplomats from the two sides gathered on Friday in Turkiye's Istanbul for their first meeting since the nuclear talks with Washington commenced last month. Both sides stressed a commitment to continued diplomacy, but there was no breakthrough. Rather, Iran has repeatedly warned that there will be 'serious ramifications' if the E3 push to invoke the 'snapback' mechanism of the comatose 2015 nuclear deal, which would reinstate the United Nations Security Council sanctions that were lifted as part of the landmark accord. Tehran and Washington have also failed to see eye to eye so far when it comes to enrichment of uranium, with Iran reiterating on Monday that it will not back down from its right to have a civilian nuclear programme. After US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said President Donald Trump's administration would not allow Iran to enrich uranium even to 1 percent, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said 'unrealistic' demands would only lead to a dead end. The E3 is also concerned about numerous reports that Iran has been arming Russia for its war in Ukraine, accusations that Tehran denies. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran has yet to receive a written proposal from the US to advance to a fifth round of negotiations, which is expected soon. He also said Iran has not proposed a joint enrichment venture with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but backs such an effort. 'The West Asia region, and specifically countries of the Persian Gulf, may increasingly require nuclear energy and to build power plants requiring nuclear fuel, so it won't be bad if nuclear fuel facilities or consortiums are created in our region so everyone can invest in them.'
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Iran summons British envoy over arrest of nationals in UK
Iran summoned a British envoy in Tehran over the arrest of several of its nationals in the UK, including three who have been charged with spying, Iranian state media has IRNA news agency said the diplomat was asked to give an explanation for what it described as "unjustified" and "politically motivated" arrests. Three Iranian men were arrested on 3 May and appeared in court in London on Saturday charged with spying for the Islamic alleged spying took place from August 2024 to February 2025, according to the Metropolitan Police. Alleged Iranian spies charged with targeting UK-based journalists Police identified them as Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55, all living in London.A fourth man was arrested on 9 May as part of the investigation, but has been released without charge, the Met said. The three men, who arrived in the UK between 2016 and 2022, were granted temporary leave to remain after claiming asylum. It is alleged they carried out surveillance with a view to locating journalists associated with Iran International. Iran International produces coverage that is critical of the current regime in Iran and has been proscribed in Iran as a terrorist organisation."Iran must be held to account for its actions," Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement following Saturday's charges."We must also strengthen our powers to protect our national security as we will not tolerate growing state threats on our soil," she comes as five other Iranian men were arrested on the same day in London, Swindon, Stockport, Rochdale and Manchester as part of a separate counter-terrorism of the men - who had been held on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act - had been released from custody, although the investigation "remains active and is ongoing", police fifth man was earlier bailed to an unspecified date in May.
